Project Merlin

[BWR1953]

Okay! Today I got started on the project to refit and repair my 15 foot, 1973 Dolphin fishing boat.

The first thing I did was to commission a neighbor kid to weld up an engine stand for me, so that I can remove and safely store the 115hp Mercury that?s currently hanging on the transom. I have no intention of running that behemoth on that little boat! LOL!

I then went ?down the road? to my favorite used boat parts dealer and purchased the following:

- Motorguide Stealth 300 electric trolling motor with a corroded bow mount, plus a foot controller and a ?Big Foot? extension arm. I took the bow mount over to my neighbor to have it disassembled and thoroughly sandblasted so that I can lube and paint it this weekend.
- Evinrude Fleetwin outboard motor in very good working condition. It started on the first pull! It came with a spare prop. From a quick search here on iboats, it looks like a 7.5hp motor. I?ll look for the S/N tomorrow.

Total cost - $140.

This weekend I hope to get the big Merc off the back and the Evinrude mounted. The little boat already has console steering and a controller for the Merc, so I guess I?ll have to rig some kind of adapter for the Evinrude. I really don?t want tiller steering and control.

When I returned from my buying spree, young Steven was nearly complete with fabricating the engine stand! He?ll sandblast and paint it for me and it should be completely ready tomorrow. He and his brother are great kids.

The plan at this point is to get the boat operational so that I can take it for sea trial evaluation. I want to get a feel for the boat and to evaluate what deck floorplan I need before I tear it apart. Once I have a good idea of what I want and need, I?ll remove the engine and begin the repair and refit.

Havin? fun now!

-BWR

 

[eaglejim]

Re: Project Merlin

I think you need to take that small boat with that big engine on a test ride before you swap engines and wear a crash helmet have a good time with the refit we will be watching

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Project Merlin

model# should be on the mount bracket, where the red mark is. clink on pic to enlarge

 

[BWR1953]

Re: Project Merlin

model# should be on the mount bracket, where the red mark is. clink on pic to enlarge

The only number in that area that I've found so far (under the grime) is the single numeral 7 cast into the bracket. There's also a "T" cast into the waterstack.

Here's the motor number.

 

[BWR1953]

Re: Project Merlin

Here are a few startup pix of the stringer condition. Just click on the links to bring up the pic. Dialup users beware! These are LARGE pix!

I pulled out the carpet and removed the existing pre-cut plywood decking planks. Watertight did not enter the equation anywhere on this little boat! LOL! Just for grins, I took 18 core samples, six from each stringer. As expected, they were all rotten.

The big Merc is still sitting on the transom, so trying to work inside the boat is challenging to say the least. Each time I head toward the stern, the bow heads for the sky! My young neighbor buddy is gone for the weekend, so he didn't get a chance to finish up the engine stand. I'll check with him tomorrow afternoon and get progress status.

Once the big engine is off, I'll do a thorough cleaning and reassemble the boat as is, then add the Evinrude putt-putt motor.

The weather has returned to normal here (72 degrees, shorts & t-shirts) and I'm getting antsy to get this thing on the water for testing and evaluation!

-BWR

Stringer composite 1.

Stringer composite 2.

 

[BWR1953]

Re: Project Merlin

Well, I'm still waiting on my outboard engine stand so that I can remove the big Merc and get to work.

The neighbor kid, Steven, is making good progress on the unit. He actually has their 9.9 Johnson sitting on there for reference.

This evening I took him up to Tractor Supply to buy some tires and wheels. The ones he put on as a temp measure needed tubes, but buying complete new tires was cheaper.

He needs to do some grinding and cleanup, then sandblast and paint. It should be finished and ready for pickup tomorrow evening. Looking forward to that!

-BWR

 

[BWR1953]

Re: Project Merlin

Well, I had a busy day today. Mostly involved a lot of waiting, some driving and some scrounging as well, but it was definitely worth it in the long run.

Got both boats and trailers registered today. Ran into an issue this morning with one DMV clerk, but this afternoon, a NICE clerk helped me out and I'm set.

I also bought the following goodies from an individual and a boat salvage parts place.

- 8.7 gallon fuel tank
- pair of cheapo PFDs
- remote operated bowlight (for my big boat)
- functional bilge blower motor
- 10' bilge blower air hose
- swiveling seat pedestal (on the upside down gray seat, which will be tossed)
- large standard seat

Total cost for all the above: $30

The engine stand is almost ready to go. The neighbor got it sanded, primed and partially painted, but ran out of black paint. I took him some more this evening.

He's going to sandblast the swiveling seat pedestal and the bilge blower housing for me and also test the base of the bowlight lamp too. That bowlight has a "chrome-plated" plastic base, so he'll try it with LOW pressure and if it's still too much, we'll revert to the old fashioned way. The bowlight DOES work on low and high beam, however, while the rotation motor runs, the light doesn't turn. I'll have to dig in there and figure out whats up with that.

Twenty-four hours from now, it should all be done and the big Merc should be off the boat and on the new stand.

Then I can FINALLY get to work! LOL!

-BWR

 

[BWR1953]

Re: Project Merlin

Okay, the engine stand got finished today so I was finally able to get the big Merc off the transom. Looks like we'll have to re-engineer the stand a bit, but it's fine for now. Took a fair bit of effort to get the stand with engine in place rolled into my gardening shed. It was too tall for the door! LOL!

Got the little Evinrude stuck on Merlin's transom. Really looks puny compared to that big Mercury! LMAO!

Anyway, I still have to fab up some steering linkage and maybe throttle as well. But, that will have to wait a day or two. Have other obligations on my plate right now too.

-BWR

I'm all about pix too, so here are todays:

 

[BWR1953]

Re: Project Merlin

I only got a little done today because my allergies were beatin' the snot outta me. Sorry to be so graphic, but I was miserable until nearly 1500 this afternoon. Springtime is definitely on the way!

Anyway, I did get the black seat pedestal and swivel cleaned up, primed and painted white. Then I cleaned up the ugly mustard yellow seat and painted it a nice battleship grey with automotive vinyl paint. It'll do.

Everything's drying at the moment. Maybe tomorrow I'll be able to paint the trolling motor mount as well.

I've also been searching for a set of controls for my little 7.5hp Evinrude. The dealer I go to had sold one yesterday just before I got there. It would have been perfect and cheap too. Dangit. He had another one which had a failed cable. We messed with it for a bit, but it looked like it was gonna be too much trouble, so I passed.

-BWR

 

[BWR1953]

Re: Project Merlin

Today I mounted a dual-wheel jackstand on the trailer, then took it over to Steven to have him rebuild the winch tower. You can see how rusted out it is in the photo. Pretty flimsy stuff.

We'll also be adjusting the bunk heights on the trailer because one of them is way out of whack, causing the boat to "list to port" while on the trailer. LOL!

Another thing we'll do is to fashion a semi-permanent steering setup using the existing cable that was connected to the big Mercury. That should be interesting. Eventually, when I put the "real" motors on the transom, I'll update the steering to match.

Still haven't found motor controls yet, but do have two guys looking. I'm getting antsy to get the boat on the water for testing and evaluation.

-BWR

 

[Bondo]

Re: Project Merlin

Got the little Evinrude stuck on Merlin's transom. Really looks puny compared to that big Mercury!

Ayuh,...

That little motor is too Short,... It just Won't work....

The Cav-plate should be even with the bottom of the boat,...
'ell,.. Even the Prop is Above the bottom of the boat...

 

[BWR1953]

Re: Project Merlin

What the heck is "Ayuh?" I see it on here all the time but don't have a clue what it means. Never saw that "term" before. Is it some kind of visceral grunt?

As far as the Evinrude... The picture is a bit of an optical illusion. The prop is definitely below the bottom of the boat, although the cav plate isn't quite there. I may or may not fabricate an outboard bracket to lower the engine a bit, so that the cavitation plate is even with the bottom of the boat.

Thought I made it clear before, but that little engine is on there purely as a temporary measure just to push the boat around in the local canals while I get a feel for the deck layout that I want. No need to try to get it to be "the" motor or to try to get the boat on plane, etc. It's temporary, not permanent and I don't care about performance while it's on there. Idle speed is all that's needed.

Eventually, I'll most likely put a pair of 15s or 20s on the back of the boat. Not sure about that yet.

-BWR

 

[maxum247]

Re: Project Merlin

Looks liked you scored some goodies for the project at a good price, nice work on the seat!

 

[BWR1953]

Re: Project Merlin

Well, now that I have one bathroom painted inside my house, I decided to work on the little boat for a bit this afternoon. I've been doing a lot of thinking on things to do and actually made a decision yesterday. I decided to remove the side console for test purposes and just drive the boat from the tiller for the initial tests.

Today I gave it a good sweep out in preparation for buttoning up and pending design exercise.

Then I put the existing plywood back in place, removed the side console and put the carpet back down. Finally, I stuck the seat that I bought and refurbished in front of the motor, leaning against the tiller. Just for reference purposes, natch. I'll screw it into place for the actual water trial.

I still have to get the trailer lights working, but that's about it before I can float dat boat!

I've been thinking more about going with the center console configuration. The distance between the lower side rails is 50 inches. And another 5 inches from there to the side of the hull. The lower rails are 11 inches below the top of the gunwale. If I made the console 20 inches wide, I'd still have 15 inches on either side for foot room, plus an additional 5 inch width on each side higher up for moving around. I think it's worth a look anyway.

And by eliminating the side console temporarily, I don't need to purchase motor controls or steering cables right away. Heh.

What I'll do is take along some cinder blocks and maybe a cardboard box to use as moveable testbeds while on the water. The blocks will simulate a passenger plus a larger motor and the cardboard box can simulate a center console.

Should be fun maneuvering around everything while on the water.

-BWR

 

[BWR1953]

Re: Project Merlin

Well, my visit to the Outdoor Expo & Boat Show last weekend gave me some ideas that I'll be examining as I get this little project going forward. The weather hasn't been cooperating much, nor has my time been as free as normal. But that's a good thing. With a little luck though, I should get the boat in the water this weekend.

I walked around the show on Saturday, checking out variations on deck plans and layouts from a variety of boat manufacturers, plus accessories, etc. I also figured out some ways to improve on some of the designs that I saw.

One deck plan that caught my eye was on an aluminum Triton 170cc. My existing deck plan looks more like the one for the DV16, but I think the use of the driver's seat on the deck of the 170cc holds promise. Especially if it is a full-width bench seat with a locker or icebox underneath. Hmmm...

I messed with the design a little. Pix for discussion purposes. Interested in hearing some thoughts from others.

-BWR

Triton DV16

Triton 170CC

Optional full width bench seat with locker from camo version of 170CC.

Removed the front passenger seat and added full-width bench with stowage.

 

[BWR1953]

Re: Project Merlin

Center console plan that gives more deck space and stowage.

-BWR

 

[BWR1953]

Re: Project Merlin

Arrrggghhhh! Soooo close! And it's STILL not on the water!

I have been VERY busy for the last week, but finally got started yesterday rewiring the trailer lights for my little boat's trailer. What a PITA that turned out to be. Ended up having to completely replace all the wiring and the lights as well. Ran outta time last night, then finished up this afternoon. I also didn't have any electrical tape, so I soldered all the connections to the lights (to NASA specifications, natch!).

During the trailer light testing, I discovered that the park light function wasn't working on the trailer when the Jeep's lights were on. Using my VOM, I tested at the plug and had no voltage on the brown wire. Hmmm... not good for me. Required getting upside down under the car and I have medical limitations in that regard.

Sooo... I went and got the neighbor kid and he crawled under there and we traced the wires back to the driver's side taillight assembly. A little tracing with the VOM and we learned that the tech who installed my hitch last year connected the brown wire to the wrong wire in the light assembly. A simple fix and all the lights worked.

Then we went to the gas station to fill the tank (after inserting 3 pints of 2-stroke oil in the tank beforehand. That's a 16:1 mixture. Sheesh. Then we headed back home.

Next step was to connect up the 6 gallon fuel tank (which I anchored last week) and fire the little engine up. The fuel line size on the little motor wasn't the same size as on the tank. Dangit! So, off to the auto parts store to jury rig up some kind of adaptor. Figured something out and headed back home. Got the small line connected to the big line and plugged in the connector end into the fuel tank and started pumping up the fuel bulb.

It started sucking air!!

Turns out that the prior owner had the wrong connector type for the fuel tank and was either using it while it leaked, or switched tanks when he sold the boat.

Tomorrow is another day... and I shall venture out in search of the correct parts so that I can finally get the motor started and get on the water!

The weather here is AWESOME now, so it's time to get going!

Projects... gotta love 'em. LOL!

-BWR

 

[Landscaping Wiz 808]

Re: Project Merlin

Hey BWR1953 - Cool project. About the gas tank though, those old OMC motors from the 1950s used a different type of tank than newer outboards. They use a "pressure tank" that has two lines instead of only one. One line forces air into the tank which in turn forces fuel up the other line to the engine.

I'll bet the guy you got the motor from probably has one lying around somewhere. If not, you can add a small fuel pump to the motor next to the carb to utilize the single line tank you already have. Worse case scenario, take a trip up here to VA and I'll let you use one of my old pressure tanks.

Good luck to you, I'll be watching the progress. BOB

 

[BWR1953]

Re: Project Merlin

Hey BWR1953 - Cool project. About the gas tank though, those old OMC motors from the 1950s used a different type of tank than newer outboards. They use a "pressure tank" that has two lines instead of only one. One line forces air into the tank which in turn forces fuel up the other line to the engine.

I'll bet the guy you got the motor from probably has one lying around somewhere. If not, you can add a small fuel pump to the motor next to the carb to utilize the single line tank you already have. Worse case scenario, take a trip up here to VA and I'll let you use one of my old pressure tanks.

Good luck to you, I'll be watching the progress. BOB

Oh cool! THANKS!

The salvage yard guy where I bought the engine showed me a nipple on the little engine that was blowing air. He said that it ran better when plugged. I bet that's the air line you're talking about, right? I did plug that line today, but if it's the pressurization line, I'll have to remove the plug and connect it up correctly.

I guess I should drive down there tomorrow and take a look-see to figure out something that'll work.

The tank, bulb and connectors that are in the boat now came with the 115hp Mercury that was previously on there. I bet THAT was fun to drive! LOL!

-BWR

 

[Landscaping Wiz 808]

Re: Project Merlin

Must have been like a drag boat!! I bet coming out of the hole would've launched that boat 5'-10' in the air! HAHA!

I'll head down to my shop tomorrow afternoon to take some pictures of the pressure tank and how the two lines run to the motor. I have a '57 Johnson 10hp that uses the same fuel system. I'll post the pics in your thread tomorrow night. I think you should be able to rig something up.

BOB